Krad: Ruler of the Shadows
by L. VanDattae
Summary: Without the four mystical stones, Krad and Dark will fade from existence but the stones are being stolen. Can krad and Dark stop them before it's too late?
1. The First Attack

**I'm hoping you'll get a feel for what the Powers are by the end of the first chapter so I'm not going to bother explaining them. All you need to know is that there are only two Guardians, one dark and one light (guess who _they _are!). Everyone in the city pretty much believes the Guardians exist but no one knows who they really are, not even the king, and most people are wary of their powers because no one really knows anything about them, except that they guard the stones that protect the world. Oh, and Hiwatari has no relationship with Satoshi. **

**If there's anything that's really confusing, just ask and I'll explain. Minor note: If you're a Dark fan, he's in here, just really later on. I don't own D.N.Angel. **

**Krad: Ruler of the Shadows**

Chapter 1

The First Attack

"_He's come_." Satoshi turned slightly against the smooth stone pillar in order to watch the door.

"I don't need your help," he replied icily.

"_How ungrateful you_ _are_," Krad said. "_Why, there are thousands of people in this city who would die just for the chance to meet me_."

"And if they met you they _would_ die," Satoshi retorted. Krad's laugh reverberated through Satoshi's mind.

"Only if they tried to hurt you, little Tamer. No one shall hurt you and live." Satoshi's eyes fluttered closed as he remembered.

_He was younger, curled up in a bare corner with his shirt off and his legs drawn up to his chest. His head rested against the wall. Strands of fine blue hair were plastered to his sweaty face. It hurt to move a lot. There were splotchy blue bruises decorating his arms and chest. Some part of him knew he was sick but he was too tired to do anything about it. The floor stretched out in front of him; the pale, bare carpet that seemed to stretch into infinity at his feet. But the house was empty and silent. It felt so cold. He leaned back against the wall, shivering and half delirious. If only he wasn't so weak! _

_Krad was furious and concerned and torn between worry for Satoshi and the desire to kill the one responsible. Maybe he could do both. That brat! No one got away with hurting his Tamer. And it was easy to slip past Satoshi's weakened defenses. _

_Satoshi was only half conscious; the world seemed to be disappearing as fast as he tried to hang on to it. He thought he only went to sleep for a few minutes but when he woke up... The first thing he noticed was that he was in bed, not on the floor. There were blankets draped over him and he was warm. He moved slightly, expecting the nausea and soreness to come rushing back. It didn't. That's when he realized the bruises had completely disappeared. So had the horrible weakness. In fact, he felt as strong as ever. Everything would have been fine... if it weren't for the blood he was covered in. It was everywhere; splashed down his front, matted in his hair, drying under his fingernails. There were great brownish-red streaks of it everywhere. His white sheets and blankets were stained and there were smears of it across the carpet like footsteps. _

_"Krad!" he snarled. The sickness seemed to come rushing back and he sprang out of bed. He'd never taken a longer bath in his life. It took hours to feel even remotely clean. He didn't figure out where all the blood had come from until a couple days later when the body was found. The body of the guy who'd beat him up. It had been shredded into pieces. They never did find all of it. _He'd never let anyone hurt him again.

"_Satoshi_!" He was jerked out of his reverie at Krad's warning. There was a sudden flurry at the door and the air seemed to sing and hum with power. A man stepped into the room. He was wearing long black robes that trailed on the stone behind him. Satoshi didn't recognize his face as he pulled his hood back but the nimbus of white magic he was standing in was unmistakable.

"_What the_…?" Krad started to ask, focusing sharply on the man. A second later Satoshi could almost feel him jerk backwards.

"_No_!" All of Krad's attention was suddenly focused, like a cat ready to pounce, and he stirred agitatedly in the back of Satoshi's mind. "_Give me control, now_!"

Satoshi's eyes slowly widened in shock as he, too, realized what they were dealing with.

"_He's one of the Powers_!" Satoshi whispered as he watched the man walk closer, down the length of the chamber. Each step carried him a little further toward the glowing white light, beating like a heart at the center of the room—the light that emanated from a single white stone hovering several feet above the floor. It was vitally important that nothing happen to that stone.

"_Why is he doing this_?" Satoshi wondered to himself. "_The six Powers are supposed to protect the stones, not steal them, otherwise the city will fall_." There was an intense sort of alarm radiating from Krad.

"_He's too powerful for you. Give me control!_"

"_One of the Powers or not, I don't need you_."

"_Now, Tamer_!" Krad attacked Satoshi's mind but Satoshi was ready for it and easily fended it off, wincing only slightly. "_Blast you_!" But Satoshi wasn't listening. The man was getting too close to the white stone. Satoshi slid easily out from behind the pillar and had tackled the man to the floor before he knew what was happening. The man snarled in rage. A second later there was a blinding white flash and Satoshi was lifted off his feet and flung backwards, hitting the far wall. The man got to his feet, the white nimbus around him seething.

"You fool!" he said. "You will pay for that!" Light gathered in his hand. Satoshi was crumpled in a heap at the base of the wall where he'd fallen. The world had gone slightly fuzzy from the impact. He hurt but he knew he couldn't stay there. He scrambled to his feet and just managed to duck behind a pillar as a blinding ball of light hit the wall where he'd been. It left a crater. Krad and Satoshi both stared at the hole in shock.

"_We're in trouble_," Satoshi thought. "_He's strong_." Not that he was particularly powerful for a Power—they were all strong—but Satoshi had never had to face one before.

"_If he can do that to stone_..." Krad said, "..._Imagine what he can do to you_."

"_You're stronger_," Satoshi replied. Krad tried again to shove Satoshi aside while he was distracted but Satoshi clung to control, gritting his teeth. "_Stop it, Krad_!"

"_And when you die?_" Krad said. Satoshi tried to think. There was no way he was going to defeat the man on his own. He needed a plan. Pushing suddenly away from the pillar, he ran. The man attacked again but he was too slow. Satoshi made it to the next pillar. One more to go and the stone would be between them, then the stone's shields would protect him. He just had to make it a little further!

"It's hopeless you know!" the man laughed. "You can't hope to defeat me! I am one of the six Powers, those chosen by the king to protect the throne and the world. No human can defeat me."

"Tell me, Power," Satoshi replied, "why you are trying to steal one of the white stones."

"I really don't think you need to know that. Come out, you can't hide forever."

"You are a traitor, to the honor of the Powers and to your own name!"

"Ah, but who is the real traitor? The traitor, or the traitor who follows him?" He started to walk toward the pillar. Satoshi gripped the rough stone tightly, took a deep breath, and ran. One more. Just one more. He wasn't quite fast enough. The ball of white light grazed his shoulder. He cried out as the force spun him around and flung him almost senseless against the wall. A huge chunk of his shoulder, where the light had hit, was missing. Satoshi slumped to the floor, one hand clutching his shoulder in an attempt to stop the blood flow. His arm hung useless at his side. The man laughed and quickly pinned him down with more of the white light. It didn't matter, Satoshi wasn't sure he could have gotten up again anyway.

Krad pushed frantically at his mind, fighting for control. Satoshi watched as the man approached him.

"It ends here." Light started to gather in the man's hand and Satoshi knew it was over. He was going to die. The white bands of light that bound him were pressing him mercilessly into the wall, biting deep into his skin. Satoshi gritted his teeth as blood welled from the restraints, ran down his hands in little rivulets, and dripped rain-like from the tips of his fingers onto the floor. His shoulder was little more than ragged flesh and cartilage and had soaked his shirt red in a nightmarish sunburst pattern of streaks.

"_Tamer_!" Krad yelled. "_Let me out_!" Satoshi couldn't let Krad take control. He just couldn't. He shook his head slightly. Even that seemed to hurt.

"_No more bodies found days later in pieces_!" Satoshi replied. Krad snarled in fury and desperation. This couldn't happen. It couldn't end like this! If Satoshi died... The Power was not going to get away with it. Krad vowed that if he lived the man would suffer.

"_Then you'll be the one torn to pieces! He will kill you_!" Krad replied. Satoshi stared up at the man, the white nimbus still glowing around him. It was hard to lift his head; everything was so blurry, so far away. That's when he realized Krad was right. Sometimes... sometimes there was no choice. "_Hurry, Tamer_!" There wasn't much time left. Satoshi closed his eyes as the world narrowed down to only two possibilities. Live or die. And he found that he wanted very much to live. With that realization he did the one thing that he had never done before and had never thought he'd ever do. He pulled down his own shields, the ones barricading his mind, and snapped all the restraints he'd fought so hard to maintain. It was easy because he was so weak. He let Krad take control.

Though Krad was slightly surprised Satoshi had actually given him control he didn't waste any time. His Tamer was fading; there wasn't much time. He brought his good right arm up and a shield, shimmering silver, appeared in front of him. It looked to be only paper-thin but it was strong as steel and the magical attack dissipated on contact with it.

"It is not so near the end as you think," Krad said as he broke the blinding white restraints that had pinned him down and stood up.

"You're a Guardian!" the man said, his eyes widening slightly. He took a step back in alarm.

"Very observant," Krad replied. "Did you actually believe you could just walk in here and take the stone? You know the legends."

"Without the stones the Guardians fade from existence," he whispered. "I should have known." Krad laughed.

"Surrender now and I might let you live." But the man only shook his head.

"The consequences of failure would be unimaginable," he said. "Besides, you are weakened. There can't be that much strength left in you." Krad looked at him sharply.

"Did someone send you?" In response, white light gathered in the man's hands.

"Enough chat, I came for the stone." Krad erected a shield just in time to block the assault. But the man was right; he was weakened. He'd lost a lot of blood and the bite out of his shoulder was on fire, shooting searing jolts of pain through his body. The arm was utterly useless. At this rate, he wasn't going to hold out for long. He knew there was only one chance. He had to reach the stone.


	2. The King

Chapter 2

The King

Krad maneuvered to the right, keeping the shield up, so that he drew closer to the stone. The blows were coming faster than ever before, raining down on the shield in wave after wave of attack. Krad was forced to continue defending himself. There was no chance to counter-attack without leaving himself wide open. Slowly his feet moved him further to the right.

The room was filled with blinding white flashes, so close together that everything else in the room was obscured in the fading after-images. Krad was seeing spots. Not just that but his shield was finally starting to crack under the assault. Huge fracture lines spread out across it like lacy cobwebs. Just as the shield started to dissolve in shimmering patches before him, he hit the shield surrounding the stone. He knew it was the shield, even though he couldn't see it, because he could feel the frigid coldness of it sinking into his skin, into the very core of his being. It was like thousands of icy hands brushing at his soul, weighing him. Krad sucked in a breath and shivered.

"_I am Guardian Krad of the White Flame_," he thought at it. The shield suddenly melted under his touch, having recognized him, and he stepped through onto the other side.

The man's attacks hit the stone's shield and fizzled out. He cursed. The shield wouldn't let him in, all he could do was hammer at it, even though he knew he wouldn't be able to break it in time. Krad stepped towards the stone, knowing he was safe for the moment. Outside the shield the storm raged but like a hurricane, the eye was calm.

Safe for the moment, Krad checked on his Tamer, worried. Satoshi's consciousness was like a flickering light in the back of his mind, battered and dim. Krad carefully shielded it, making sure it didn't dissipate into silvery wisps and float away.

"_Krad_?" The voice was shaky and faint.

"_Stay safe_," Krad replied. With a growl, he returned to his surroundings.

The stone hung suspended in the air about five feet off the ground. It pulsed like a heart, giving off small flashes of light as it maintained not only the small shield surrounding it but the dome-like shield that protected the entire city as well. Krad reached out and wrapped his hand around it, feeling its warmth in his palm. The stone's power was immense. He didn't try to move it, but its power infused him just from contact and he could feel it at the center of his being, seething with life. For the moment they ceased to be two separate beings. He was the stone and the stone was him. Their purpose was the same. Against his hand it felt like the fluttering of many wings, like a trapped bird, almost a numbing sensation.

With his other hand, the severely wounded left arm, he reached out toward the man, ignoring the searing pain. The shield between them dissipated under his will and the sheer force of the power he unleashed sent the man skidding along the stone floor a good ten feet. Krad didn't wait to see if the man would get up. He attacked again. Light gathered in his hand and exploded outward in blinding rays. The man started to pull himself to his feet just as the attack hit and he was left bleeding in a heap on the ground.

Krad's left shoulder was beginning to throb in excruciating pain. He was forced to lower the hand to draw power from the stone in order to heal the wound. It healed quickly, the flesh knitting together with ease, though his shirt was still stained red with blood. Afterward he released the stone and walked toward the man.

"For Satoshi," he said, as he used the blinding white power at his control to lift the man up and pin him to the wall with cords as tight as Satoshi's had been. The man's head lolled to the side and he moaned, bleeding freely from several severe wounds. He seemed only half aware of his surroundings.

"Who are you?" Krad demanded. "Tell me who sent you and I might let you live." Under his breath though, he added, "_Might_, as in no chance in a thousand." The man just smiled. An eerie smile. Krad intensified the tightness of the bonds and the man gasped.

"My master would never forgive me for failing," he choked out, his voice a raw whisper. And though Krad would certainly have thought him past being able to call any sort of magic, white light suddenly sprang up between them, blindingly bright. Krad let go, shielding his eyes. There was a raw, high-pitched scream of agony that seemed to go and on forever and then the light started to fade away. When it had finally disappeared and Krad could open his eyes there was nothing left of the man but a few bits of ash drifting like black snowflakes to the floor.

Krad sighed. That was one Power less in the world. Altogether there should have been six Powers under the king: three white and three black. Someone would be called to take his place, of course, but it would take a few weeks to figure out who. The Powers were supposed to serve the king, not attack the magical stones that kept their world intact. If one had gone rogue the king would need to know about it. All it would take was the theft of one of those stones...

Krad headed for the door, his job done. That's when he caught a glimpse of his hand. Where it had touched the stone the skin was white. The residue of true power. It would fade in time.

Now all he had to do was talk to the king...

xxx

Hiwatari was sleeping when a soft sound in the room jolted him upright, instantly alert. The room was dark except for the soft squares of light along the carpet from the moonlight shining through the windows. Everything was quiet. Hiwatari sat upright for a minute, trying to stare past the moonlight into the darkness beyond, to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. Nothing moved but an uneasy feeling had gripped his stomach and he frowned, suspicious. Something wasn't right.

He pulled the blankets back and slid out of bed, his feet hitting the floor softly. Once he was out of the moonlight he could see a little better but the huge room looked as it had before. Unconvinced, he brought his hand up and had just started to flare light through the room when a hand was suddenly placed on his shoulder.

"Hiwatari." He jumped and spun around, growling in exasperation when he saw who it was.

"Krad," he replied, his voice harsher than usual as he fought to calm down. "What the heck are you doing?" The Guardians were the only thing he was truly wary of. Some people might have believed they were only urban legends but Hiwatari knew better. They were a force unto themselves, appearing and disappearing whenever they felt like it. They were ruled by no one, they were stronger than any single one of the Powers, and to his knowledge they only had one weakness: the stones. Without those they would cease to exist.

"I came to warn you," Krad said. Hiwatari was instantly wary. Guardians didn't just show up for no good reason.

"About what?" he asked sharply. Krad stood, looking down at him for a moment, taking his time. Hiwatari patiently waited him out (two could play at that game) and shifted slightly so that the bright, moonlit windows were behind him. Just as the light had blinded him earlier as he'd tried to see into the shadows of his room, the light would now make it hard for Krad to see his face.

"The Powers," Krad finally replied. "One of them tried to steal a white stone tonight."

"_And I bet that just really ticked you off_," Hiwatari thought, deriving a little pleasure from the conversation at least.

"He's dead," Krad continued. That got to Hiwatari.

"What!" Hiwatari demanded. "You killed a Power! Do you know how hard it will be to find the next one chosen to wield the Power?" (A/N: Power actually refers to the magical force the person wields, but sometimes to the people themselves. When one dies the Power or magical force inside him or her chooses a new host, usually a descendent of the original host but not always, as you will see)

"You should keep better control of your Powers, Hiwatari," Krad replied, "if you value them alive."

"Blast you!" Hiwatari said.

"Oh," Krad continued, indifferent. "I'd watch my back if I were you. Where there's one corrupted Power there are often more."

"Is that a threat?" Hiwatari asked, his voice a low whisper. White light sprang to his hands.

"I don't threaten," Krad replied. "I have no need to." The white light in Hiwatari's hand didn't fade.

"You may be a Guardian," Hiwatari said. "But I am the king."

"I do not fear your power." Nevertheless, Hiwatari noted how Krad's eyes warily followed the path of the light.

"_You may be strong enough to get into my palace undetected_," Hiwatari thought to himself, "_but despite your cynical tongue you are not truly fool enough to ignore my power. You know the truth_." He chuckled. "You, Krad, know better than to take me lightly. You are not invulnerable yourself."

"Feh!" Krad stepped around him and walked to the window, bathing himself in the moonlight as he looked out onto the spacious grounds. The light made him look pale and unearthly, a creature from another dimension, with dark shadows for a face. "Perhaps, but if anything happens to those stones it will be your neck as well as mine. Should they disappear the shield they support will fall and the world with it. I should think you'd have a vested interest in keeping them safe."

"_You think you know so much, Krad_," Hiwatari thought, "_but you haven't the slightest clue_." Hiwatari's eyes narrowed but the white power in his hand faded into the darkness.

"We're not so different sometimes, Hiwatari." Somehow Krad made even that sound like a threat. There was a sudden fluttering of white feathers and bright white light. Hiwatari covered his eyes. When at last the light disappeared and he could look up again, there was no sign of Krad. The room was empty again. Hiwatari stood ice-still where he was; the quick beat of his heart the only sound. A dead Power was an obstacle he didn't want to face. It could take ages to find the new one. The Guardian had cost him hours of work and setbacks. Hiwatari could feel his fury rising as he thought about it.

When he finally spoke, however, it wasn't a sudden explosion of rage, but rather a cold whisper that seemed to freeze the air in the room.

"Drat that Guardian seven ways to the void!"

**xxx**

**To Shimmering Solitude: You can have a thousand people read the same story and every single one of them will dislike something different. I don't know about you but in the books I read he's just called Satoshi, and I've never understood all those weird endings anyway! (peace to anyone who does good for you) Besides, it makes it a lot less confusing to just call everyone by their names here in the US! I really appreciated your review, though. Criticism is always welcome! **

**To Ahyma Midori: I'm so glad you like it! Krad is my favorite character, I think, and I like writing about him. Don't worry, he hasn't figured out why the stones are being attacked yet either, but he will! Have patience and keep reading! **


	3. The Rescue

Chapter 3

The Rescue

Krad reappeared standing on the dark sidewalk outside the palace. How he hated that man! Partly because he was right. Despite Krad's power and reputation, his life was linked to the fate of the stones as surely as the Shield shone. If anything ever happened to them... Forget the world, he'd be beyond caring. It was one gaping weakness in his defenses. Krad didn't like being weak.

Then there was Hiwatari himself. _You know better than to take me lightly_. And he was right. No matter how Krad taunted the man, he would make a formidable opponent. Hiwatari wasn't king for nothing. Krad had great faith in his own abilities but if it ever came down to a fight between them, he didn't know who would come out victor. He didn't fear Hiwatari, exactly, but he was definitely wary of the man.

The distance home passed quickly as he walked, lost in thought. Before he knew it he was at Satoshi's door. There was a sudden stirring in the back of his mind as Satoshi fought his way to awareness despite the beating his conscious had taken. Krad slipped into the house and closed the door behind him, worriedly checking on his Tamer in his mind. The last thing Satoshi needed was to wake up now.

"_Krad_?" The query sounded slightly confused. Krad realized that the shields he'd put around Satoshi to protect him were still up. Unfortunately, Satoshi realized it, too. "_No_!" he said, his words losing their fuzzy, confused note and becoming crystal daggers. "_No_! _You beep _! _Let me out_!" He began to beat his already battered conscious against the invisible walls, hammering on them with fists and mind. "_ beep it all! Let me out_!" Krad knew Satoshi couldn't take any more abuse, not after what they'd just been through. He hurriedly let down the shields, releasing Satoshi, who fell to his knees despite his attempts to stand.

"_Satoshi_..." Krad reached out to him.

xxx

Satoshi looked up at the sound of his name, across the black mental landscape.

"_Satoshi, you're hurt, don't try to move_." Satoshi ignored the hand Krad offered him and stared at his own shaking hands. What was wrong with him? Why was he so weak? He was trembling just trying to hold himself off the floor but there was no way he was going to stay kneeling on the floor in front of Krad. Struggling against the awful weight that seemed to be pushing him down, he got his feet under him and stood up, wavering slightly.

"_Sit down, you fool, before you cause permanent damage_," Krad said. Satoshi shook his head slightly; he was determined to face this fight on his feet.

"_You_..." Satoshi started to say. But as he took a step forward he staggered, his legs buckling underneath him. Krad caught him before he hit the ground.

"_I don't need your help_!" Satoshi said, struggling against the Guardian. But in his weakened state he was no match for Krad and no matter what he did he couldn't break free of Krad's restraining arms.

"_Stop it, Satoshi_!" Krad commanded, easily subduing the blue-haired Tamer. "_You're in no condition to take over_." Finally, Satoshi gave in and stilled, having exhausted himself.

"_Why am I so weak_?" he whispered.

"_You took a lot of damage fighting that Power. I tried to shield you as well as I could but I couldn't heal your mind like I could your physical body. You need to rest. As long as you eat something tomorrow morning you'll be fine, just in time for school_." Satoshi nodded as the darkness started to seep into the edges of his vision. He couldn't stay awake any longer. Though he worried about leaving Krad in control, there was nothing he could do. He fell asleep half sprawled out across Krad's lap.

xxx

Krad carefully scooted Satoshi onto the floor and stood up. As long as he was going to be okay...

"_Sleep well, little one_," he whispered, before turning his attention back to reality. He was still standing just inside the front door. With a sigh he tracked wearily up the stairs. Satoshi wasn't the only one who needed rest. Everything was just as they'd left it. Krad lay down on the bed and withdrew control, switching with the unconscious Satoshi and remembering at the last second to draw the covers up.

xxx

Much to Riku's annoyance, Risa was fantasizing again.

"Aren't they dreamy?" Risa asked. She was leaning over the back of the couch with one hand pressed against her cheek. That way she could see Riku.

"Who?" Riku asked, pretty sure she already knew where this conversation was going.

"The Guardians, of course!" Risa replied, smiling dreamily. "Especially that dark one!"

"You don't even know his name!" Riku snapped. She was turned so that her back was to Risa while she pulled off her pajamas and put on a blue shirt with straps. She turned to look in the mirror.

"Hey! What's that?" Risa asked, getting off the couch and coming over.

"What's what?" Riku asked.

"This!" she said, pointing to something high up on Riku's back, near her shoulder. "My word, Riku! What did you do to yourself?" Riku turned so that she could see her shoulder in the mirror. There, right where Risa was pointing, was an intricate little circular mark, like a burn scar, just dark enough to be noticeable.

"What the heck!" Riku exclaimed, fingering the mark. The skin felt smooth as ever.

"Risa! Riku! It's almost time for school!" Their mother's voice carried into the room.

"What am I going to do!" Riku exclaimed. "Everyone will notice!"

"Put something else on for now," Risa replied. "That way no one will see." Riku fingered the mark one last time and then hurried to change. But she couldn't stop thinking about it. She was certain it hadn't been there the day before; it had just seemed to appear magically over night. And Risa knew, if there was one thing that never meant any good, it was magic.

xxx

Hiwatari sat looking out the window. Beneath him the city stretched out into the distance and the magical Shield shimmered. The whole place was like a snow-globe: ethereal, glittering, fragile. Imagine, all it would take was the disappearance of a couple stones and it would all come tumbling down. They were weak, vulnerable, all of them, and the world outside was so very strong. It would take so little to end their existence. Just a tiny push…

Hiwatari sighed. Even the Guardians, those strongest of beings, had the same fundamental flaw. Not like the Powers…

The Powers. _I'd watch my back if I were you_. He remembered Krad's threat and he didn't like it one little bit. But then he laughed. What did the Guardian know? No, the Guardian didn't understand at all.

xxx

Satoshi got a surprise when he woke up in the morning. He pounded one hand against the wall just to make sure it was real. Krad had _given _him control back? Satoshi wasn't sure what to make of this, but for the first time he didn't shield his mind against Krad. Something between them had changed.

Then, just to spite Krad, he didn't eat breakfast. It meant he had trouble focusing on his work until lunch but it was worth it. Besides, the curriculum was easy. Krad watched from the back of his mind but seemed to know what Satoshi was up to and kept his mouth shut. Satoshi would have skipped lunch, too, just to push Krad a little further, but by then his right hand was starting to tremble and Daisuke had noticed it. Satoshi didn't want Daisuke worrying about him.

After school, Satoshi didn't go straight home. He wanted to think and he did that best while walking. So he took a detour to clear his mind. Satoshi walked slowly down the deserted street. Occasionally a car would go whizzing by. High over his head the magical Shield (invisible during the day) shimmered with swirling patterns of white and black as it withstood the constant pressure of the Other World outside. That Shield, which was the only thing standing between the city and utter destruction, had almost been weakened the day before. Satoshi eyed is worriedly. There were only four stones holding it up, two white and two black. The loss of one could seriously weaken the Shield. If two were ever to go missing the Shield would start to break up, letting in bits of the world on the other side. Satoshi shivered at the thought. If the Shield broke… nothing would save them.

And that's what didn't make sense. He just couldn't figure out why a Power would want to steal one of the four stones. The stones themselves contained unimaginable power, which normally would attract all kinds of thieves. Most people, though, were smart enough to realize that the power wasn't worth their own hides. What did a Power hope to gain by stealing one? Or was there some other force behind the sudden attack? Either way, the thought of the five remaining Powers worried him. And somewhere out in the world there would be a new sixth Power to replace the one that was lost. Individually the Powers might have been a force to be reckoned with, if not as strong as the Guardians, but combined, they were another matter. Three of them could form a pyramid of power, half of the full double pyramid or hexagonal shape that could be formed when all were together, a position that could stop anything and one Satoshi knew Krad couldn't break.

Satoshi looked up suddenly, surprised to find that night had fallen while he'd been thinking. He would need to get back.

It was just as he was thinking this that sudden motion caught his eye. Satoshi glanced down in time to see a young girl, who looked vaguely familiar, come running toward him down the street. There was something chasing her but no matter how hard Satoshi squinted he could only make out darker shadows along the already pitch-black streets. What the heck? There was a sudden rumbling from his left and Satoshi turned to see a large truck barreling toward them. His eyes widened suddenly as he turned back toward the girl. There was no way she was going to see the truck in time. She'd be killed!

Satoshi was moving before he could think about it, one long stride carrying him out into the street.

"_Stop_!" Krad shouted. "_You'll be killed! I won't let you do this_!"

xxx

Krad watched breathless for a second as the truck got closer and the world blurred out, narrowing to the three figures about to collide in the center of the road. His Tamer's whole attention was focused on the girl, on shoving her out of the way.

"_No_!" Krad raged. This couldn't happen! He wouldn't let it. If anything happened to Satoshi… He gathered every shred of power he could, briefly wishing there was a way he could save Satoshi without hurting him. But it was for the better good. Satoshi never had a hope of countering the attack. It was too sudden, too strong, and too quick. As Krad hammered the blow down, Satoshi was violently shoved out of control. Krad didn't have time to worry. He blinked into existence with the truck meters away, barreling towards him. There was no time to do anything but finish what Satoshi had started.

He pulled the girl to him, arms clutching her tightly to his chest, wings wrapping around them protectively, as he braced for the impact. The truck had already hit its breaks but not in time. There was a moment when the oncoming headlights seemed to have reached a remarkable size and brilliance, illuminating everything in their off-white glow. Then there was a moment of complete and utter darkness, a moment that wasn't a moment at all. That's when the impact came. Krad felt it in every bone of his body. Hollow wing bones snapped liked twigs. The fender hit his legs, buckling them under as the force rolled them upward, into the windshield and finally off. Krad was never sure at what point he lost consciousness.

**xxx**

**To Shimmering Solitude: Sorry, I didn't mean to sound snappish. You're right, I think. I love writing and I'm good at grammar (when I want to be) but that doesn't make me good at plot and narration. Yet everyone who reads my stories is too polite to chew me out and tell me what I'm doing wrong. I'm glad you honestly told me what you think. In the end I need that more than all the "uh-huh, that's nice's." Please keep reviewing. **


	4. A New Power

Note: The girls name is MEE-ka, not MY-ka, though I bet most of you figured that out. Some of my friends were pronouncing it wrong.

Chapter 4

A New Power

Mika was a little confused. Her head hurt and when she brought her hand carefully to her forehead, it came away bloody. Oh, ouch! She grimaced. But at least _they_ hadn't caught her, she thought and promptly wondered who _they _were.

Flash. Shouting. Men wreathed in a power like shadows that turned the very air dark. Broken glass. "Run, Mika!" Screaming. Flash.

Mika shivered and looked about her. That's when she saw the white wings spread wide beneath her (there were still a few feathers fluttering to the ground) and the blond-haired man lying prone beside her, one arm flung limp across her stomach and the other beneath her. She nearly sprung up, other details catching her eye as she did: the blood-splattered across his face and wings, the torn white attire, the spreading red stain at his side, and the odd angle at which his lower legs were twisted.

"_Cripes_!" she thought, finally realizing what he was. "_He's one of the Guardian_s_! I'm looking at one of the legendary Guardians_!" Mika couldn't seem to wrap her mind around the fact. This was one of the beings her father had talked about only in hushed whispers. This was a being of story and legend. A wielder of the Living Flame. Movement out of the corner of your eye. A shadow among shadows. A protector of the stones! And he wasn't moving. Mika panicked. "_I've killed him! I've killed one of the Guardians_!" Half torn between awe and desperation, she leaned over him and shook him. "Wake up! Please wake up! Wake up, darn you!" He suddenly stirred beneath her, groaning. Mika jumped back, exclaiming, "Uh-oh! He's alive!" Then she realized what she was saying and rushed forward again, hugging him tightly in relief. "You're alive! Oh my word, you're alive!" His eyes fluttered open blankly and then suddenly focused on her, opening wide. He started to jerk up, hissed suddenly in pain, and started to fall back again just as Mika shoved him back down.

"No! Don't move! You're injured! But I'm here! It's okay! Just hold still!" (A/N: Giggling. I like Mika! Don't worry, she's not as much of a ditz as she seems)

xxx

Krad still wasn't convinced he was awake. Except for the pain… The pain was real. He could barely breathe without the movement sending jolts of electricity along his spine, causing him to tremble involuntarily. There was a sharp pang that let him know his legs were broken and what felt like a few ribs. Despite this, it was the utter inability to defend himself that caused him the most alarm.

He'd have just killed the fair-haired nuisance of a girl pinning him to the concrete if it wasn't that he didn't think he had enough energy even to do that. It wasn't worth it, not when his body was already healing itself. He could feel bones reforming, the skin mending, underneath the torn cloth the scratches were disappearing. But he was still weak. Healing took a lot of energy. He managed to push the girl off and tried to get to his feet. Halfway there, however, he started to crumple and would have collapsed if the girl hadn't caught his shoulder and held him up.

"You shouldn't be pushing yourself so hard," she complained. "In your condition, you should be in the hospital. Come on." She started to guide him forward but Krad wouldn't budge.

"Not the hospital," he replied, keeping himself upright by sheer determination.

"You need medical attention. You're hurt!"

"Not the hospital," he repeated. The girl shook her head.

"Fine. Kill yourself. See if I care. Where to?" Krad gritted his teeth. He took a moment to curse Satoshi out for getting him into this. But at the moment he was going to have to trust the girl. He didn't have a choice.

"I'll tell you where to go."

xxx

Mika was muttering threats under her breath.

"Of all the stupid, dumb, ludicrous…! But_ no_,we _can't_ go to the hospital!" Mika sighed. The truth was she was worried. She could tell he was more hurt than he let on by the fine lines of strain around his eyes and by the way he leaned against her. Mika was lucky she was strong. As it was she was half staggering under his weight and if he collapsed she knew there was no way she'd be able to drag him very far.

Did he have to be so stubborn? She glanced sideways at him but his face was as unreadable as ever.

"_He must be in a lot of pain_," she thought to herself. "_And he did it for me_!" She remembered the terror that had filled her when she'd realized the truck was going to hit her. There had been no way to stop in time and… she'd been running from something. But it had all come down to those few seconds on the road, the headlights she hadn't seen in time glaring down on her. She'd been certain she was going to die… that she'd run away from death just to meet it again. But then everything had changed. Someone's arms had caught her, held her. For a few seconds he had shielded her with his body and for those few seconds, while her face had been pressed to his chest and she had clung to him for protection, she had been safe. She even remembered thinking, "_Everything will be alright now_."

She smiled at the memory and glanced sideways at him again.

xxx

Krad focused on putting one foot in front of the other. He knew he must be heavy but the girl only gritted her teeth and continued forward. Who was she, anyway? She seemed familiar. And why did she keep looking at him? He glared at her just for good measure. Women, he thought, were strange. He'd never understand them. Not that it mattered; he'd have to kill her anyway. He knew this even as he nodded towards Satoshi's house.

"That one." She knew too much now; she knew where he lived and that endangered Satoshi. But killing her would have to wait.

"That one?" she asked breathlessly, pointing. "It's huge!" And indeed it was. It looked more like a mansion with its sprawling lawn and wrought-iron fence. Despite the gate's intimidating facade (A/N: meaning a deceptive appearance), the girl simply pushed it open with her hand and helped Krad through.

It was a relief when they reached the door. The girl looked stymied (A/N: hindered or frustrated) for a second when she saw that there was no door handle but Krad simply reached forward and pushed in the code. The door opened soundlessly. Krad didn't wait around for the girl to close her mouth but took a step forward, forcing her to move with him. She helped him in and onto a couch.

"Stay here," he told her before letting exhaustion carry him away.

xxx

Mika felt distinctly uncomfortable in the huge house. She took a quick tour around to orient herself and finally found a closet with towels and blankets. Grabbing a couple blankets, she returned to the room she'd left the Guardian in and curled up on one of the recliners. She was tired, especially from half-carrying the Guardian around, but it took her a while to get to sleep. There was something about the darkness of dreams that caused her to shift restlessly away from them, something waiting for her...

_She was jerked roughly around and slapped full across the face. It effectively helped dispel her shock. She found to her amazement that her face was wet; she was crying. The man who'd slapped her gripped her by the shoulders and shook her. _

_"Let go of me!" She started screaming, jerking wildly in his grip. _

_"Shut up!" the man yelled. He slapped her again. She turned her face away but continued to thrash, screaming and kicking. For a moment she broke free but then he caught her around the waist and hauled her back. Someone else came over and began to pull her shirt up while the first kept her arms pinned. _

_"No!" she screamed hoarsely. "No! I hate you!" There was the lightest touch on her now bare shoulder. _

_"She has the mark," the man said. He let her shirt fall back down around her. _

_"Well, that certainly makes things easier," the other guy said. "Bring her. And be careful; she'll be dangerous at first." Mika was never sure what happened next. It was just that suddenly all the emotions that were boiling around inside of her, the frustration and the fear, reached a deafening point in her mind. And where up until that point she'd been focusing on what was in front of her, beating herself senseless against it, in her desperation she just all of a sudden pushed _sideways _with her mind instead. And that's when it happened. Something exploded outwards. The man who had a hold of her gave a sudden yell as he was knocked flat away from her with all the others. Mika never stopped to consider what had happened; she ran, fleeing out through the broken window. Behind her she heard yelling. _

_"Get her!" But they were slow. She ran… into the light and screech of breaks. _

xxx

Krad woke with a lot more energy than he'd gone to sleep with. He might not have been completely recovered from the enormous drain of healing so many wounds but food would take care of that. Satoshi was beginning to stir in the back of his mind, groaning slightly from the effect of the mental beating he'd taken. It would take a while yet for the blue-haired Tamer to feel up to anything that could remotely threaten Krad, which was just fine with him. It meant he could deal with the girl.

He was briefly surprised to find that a blanket had been thrown over him. It was quickly pushed aside, though, as he got up. There was a blanket folded up in one of the recliners but the girl wasn't there. Puzzled, he walked around until he found her in the kitchen. She had scrambled some eggs and made bacon with orange juice and toast. It took her a second to notice him as he stood in the doorway.

"Oh, good!" she exclaimed. "You're up! I made you breakfast but I was afraid it would get cold before you woke up."

"You made me breakfast?" he asked, looking at the food quizzically.

"Yeah. You looked really tired and I figured you could use it. I hope you like eggs." Krad decided not to tell her that he'd never eaten food in his life. Satoshi was the one who ate, not him. He had no need to.

"What's your name?" he asked instead.

"Mika. What's yours?"

"You don't need to know."

"Oh." She looked at him sadly. Krad decided that he'd better kill her now, before she looked at him like that again. It was better to get it over with. He walked towards her suddenly, light flaring into his hand. Mika, sensing instinctively that something was wrong, began backing up. "What are you doing?"

"It's okay," Krad replied, but it didn't reassure her in the least. She turned and ran. "Wait!" Krad threw a ball of brilliant light after her but she was already out of the room. It hit the wall instead, leaving a foot-wide hole. "Hold still! You won't feel a thing, I promise!" He ran after her, through the door, where he was promptly hit-square-in-the-side-of-the-head by a hardback book. He staggered for a moment.

"Leave me alone!" Mika shouted, grabbing another book and chucking it at him. Then she turned and ran. Krad chased her down the hall, blasting holes in the floor. (A/N: I wonder what the repairman is going to think?) Mika swerved into a bedroom before she realized there was no other way out. Desperate, she looked around and spotted a mirror. Krad, sure he'd finally got her trapped, ran in after her, throwing the bright light already gathered in his hand into the room. But he hadn't counted on the mirror she was using to shield herself. The balls of light hit the mirror, shattering it, and reflected. Krad threw himself sideways, but not in time. One of the magical spheres grazed his side, incinerating his shirt and some of the skin beneath it. When he got back to his feet he wasn't one bit happy. And Mika was defenseless. Krad stalked towards her.

"No!" Mika shouted, raising her arms as if to ward him off. "Stay away from me!" Neither of them saw it coming. White light gathered suddenly in her hands and exploded outward. Krad barely managed to get a shield up in time as it washed over him. For a second the room was filled with light and it was impossible to see anything, then the light died away. Mika looked at her hands in shock.

"What the heck!" Krad exclaimed. He caught Mika as she tried to escape and pinned her to the bed.

"Let me go!" Mika shouted, squirming. But Krad had her now. He pressed her face down into the blankets because it was easier to restrain her from hitting him that way. "You tried to kill me!"

"I had to. Now hold still, you're making this difficult." He tugged her shirt up around her shoulders. Mika could feel his hands on her back.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, angry and breathing a little heavily. But Krad let his breath out in an expulsion of air, having found what he was looking for and he was too surprised to listen. High on her right shoulder he could see an odd mark etched in her skin.

"My word!" he exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me you were one of the Powers!"

"What are you talking about?"

"That mark on your back; that's the mark of the Powers."

**xxx**

**To Shimmering Solitude: Good to hear from you again. You sure are prompt! **

**To Devine Dragon: Yea! It's nice to get another review! Hope you liked the chapter! Oh, but I can't wait to get to Dark's part in a couple more chapters! (giggling evilly) Watch and see! **


	5. Memories

Many apologies. I should have got to updating this months ago but that's just me for ya. Also, I kept delaying as I read and reread this chapter, trying to find a suitable way to fix it. I still feel like I lost Krad's personality somewhere in the middle of it and that it drags a little towards the end. Sigh. I'll just let you decide for yourself.

**Chapter 5**

Memories

"What mark?" Mika asked. Krad ran his thumb lightly over the mark as though to make sure it was real. There was something about the light touch of Krad's fingers, something about seeing the dark circular mark on her back that brought memories rushing back, memories she'd tried to suppress.

Flash. _The shadows wrapped around the room like living fog, swirling in a non-existent breeze. They seemed to wrap around Mika, clinging to her legs with inky, black, fingers. She could feel them through her clothing, their freezing cold touch creating goose bumps up and down her body. She was walking fast, trying to see through the black mist. On the floor below she could hear shouting and screaming. But she couldn't even see the stairs in front of her feet. She was almost totally blind in the darkness. Frantic to find a way down but afraid to trip and kill herself, she clung to the rail and eased herself down as fast as she could, feeling for each step. _

_"Please, let me be in time. Let everything be alright. Let this not be happening."_ Flash.

Mika's eyes grew wide as the memories came rushing back.

Flash. _The black flashes of light came from the living room, where the bay windows were. The windows had been smashed, though. There was glass all over. She stood in the doorway, a nightmarish scene playing out before her. There, in the center of the room, was her father, the nimbus of light around his head that always appeared when he used his power. His hand was upraised to support a shield. Surrounding him were three other people, two of which glowed with dark power. The third man, though, was standing in a nimbus of light, the only reason she could see the room at all. _

_Her father looked up, having suddenly seen her, and his eyes widened in fear. _

_"Run, Mika!" he cried. But it was too late. The diversion had cost him. The shield shattered under a particularly vicious blow from one of the men and the other two wasted no time in attacking. The combined attacks hit her defenseless father and he screamed. Mika watched as his body seemed to convulse in mid-air before dropping to the ground. Even as he lay there dying, the man with the white nimbus hit him again and his body jerked. _

_There was a sudden, high-pitched noise piercing the deafening silence that followed. It took Mika a whole minute to realize it was her, that she was screaming. Her hands were gripping the doorframe with white knuckles. She couldn't seem to move. Everything seemed so unreal. She just kept staring into the room, at her father. Then suddenly her knees seemed to give and she was running forward. She ran towards her father, dropping to the ground beside him, heedless of the glass fragments that dug into her legs. She was still screaming that high-pitched, ear-piercing scream that didn't seem to be real. She shook her father's body again and again with no response. Her hands were shaking violently but she couldn't stop. Finally, someone grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her up, clapping a hand over her mouth. The screaming muffled out but didn't go away. He began to drag her backwards and when she refused to cooperate he turned her around and slapped her full across the face. That's when she quit screaming_. Flash.

"Oh, Life!" she gasped, her mouth open in a silent 'oh' of horror. "They killed him!" And suddenly she couldn't stop the flood of emotion that was choking her. She swallowed, coughed and started sobbing dryly. The worst part was, though she tried her best, she couldn't stop the pitying sounds that were coming out of her mouth.

Unfortunately, Krad hadn't the slightest clue what to do with a hysterical woman. He wished Satoshi were awake. He would know how to get her to stop. It would have been so much easier if he could have just killed her. But that was out of the question now that he knew she was one of the Powers. So he did the only thing he could think of. He pulled her toward him and pressed her face into his shirt, muffling the sound.

"Shh," he whispered, frantically.

"I h-hate them!" She was shaking with convulsions. He could feel her hot tears soaking his shirt.

"Who?" he asked.

"The Powers!"

"Shh." He wasn't sure what to do but holding her seemed to be helping so he kept her clutched to his chest. One of her hands was fisted in his shirt, the other was at his waist and she seemed so fragile all of a sudden. He had the sudden impression that if he pushed too hard he might break her. Somehow, he managed to get them both sitting down.

Finally the shaking stopped and she leaned, limp and spent, against him, just breathing. She was staring at one of the golden stitches in his shirt, blinking slightly, having gone completely placid in the circle of his arms.

She sat up and stared blankly out at the room for a while, still encircled by his arms. Slowly her eyes took on a determined gleam and she turned to Krad. Krad didn't like what he saw mirrored in her gaze: hurt, shock, and something new, something like conviction.

"I'm going to kill them," she said and her voice was so emotionless that even Krad shuddered. There was a small period of silence, in which Krad didn't know what to say. Then Mika stood up, pushing him away, and walked back into the kitchen. "I'm not hungry anymore," she said, and threw out the food she'd made. Krad, having followed her, gently caught her wrist.

"Tell me what happened?" he asked. She tried to tug herself free but when he wouldn't let go, she finally looked at him.

"I'll show you."

Ten minutes later they were standing on the sidewalk outside a quaint little blue-trimmed house, set back on a rolling lawn and shrouded by a wall of sculpted shrubs. It looked peaceful enough but Krad's senses told him there was something wrong. It felt dead.

"This is my home," Mika said, walking forward. Krad followed her around to the back. Three large bay windows that looked out across their backyard were shattered, the blue trim was blackened with blast marks, and the inside was a shambles, steeped in shadows.

"What happened?" Krad asked, as they carefully crawled in through the broken windows.

"My father was one of the Powers," she replied, looking around. Her hands were wrapped around her stomach as though afraid to touch anything. "I don't know what happened. I woke up because I heard him scream and when I got down here three of the other Powers killed him. They just killed him." She put one hand over her mouth. "Why did they do that? They always worked together before!"

"The Powers have been acting strangely lately," Krad replied. He'd noticed a dark stain on the floor in the center of the room and quickly moved to put himself between it and Mika. She didn't need to see. "Did they see you?"

"They almost caught me. And one of them mentioned the mark."

"Well, whatever the Powers are up to, they know who you are now. Is there anything you can think of, anything out of the ordinary that might have caused them to do this?"

"No. Dad came home a little angrier than usual but that's all." She looked around at the mess her home was in. "What am I going to do?"

"First of all," Krad replied, "you're going to stay with me. I'll protect you until I figure out what's going on."

"Thank you. Let's leave now. I don't like this place." They headed back across the lawn. Halfway there, Krad spoke up.

"My name's Krad, by the way," he said. Mika smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, Krad."

**xxx**

**To sakurafairy: What can I say? The chapters are two pages longer than my other story as it is. I'm so glad you asked a question! I'll do my best to answer it! (bowing regally) Yes, all the Powers have Power/Magic/Dark Flame/White Flame/whatever-you-want-to-call-it (I know that's a lot of names but I couldn't hit on a single word that described it the way I think about it). It's all the same. Six Powers. Three wield the Dark Flame. Three wield the White Flame. When one Power dies the magic inside of him/her finds a new… uh, host. Usually, the magic will choose a descendent of the previous Power, unless no living descendent exists. I know all my Powers started out being males but a Power doesn't have to be male (as Mika proves). They aren't all bad, either. Mika's father was good. I didn't give the Powers names because I didn't want to confuse everyone by suddenly listing six OC names. Let's see, both Guardians can wield the Living Flame (obviously) and so can king Hiwatari. Whew…that's all for now. **

**To Court12: Thank you. Please review again. **

**To Devinedragon: I'm _sorry_. (sprawling pitifully on the floor) Don't hurt me! I'm writing! I'm writing! **

**To Koway Oceshia: Whew, you don't know how glad I am that someone found the story a little humorous. I have trouble with comedy. Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews! It made me so happy! Oh, and pairings? Let's see… Daisuke still likes Risa; Risa still likes Dark, Satoshi doesn't have anyone in this story, and Krad will eventually fall in love with, well, Mika. Though I'm thinking it'll take a little interference on Dark's part to get him there. (evil grin) Stick with it, I'm thinking it gets better. **


	6. Controlling the White Flame

Finally! This isn't particularly a favorite chapter of mine, probably why it took so long. But here it is, at last...

Chapter 6

**Controlling the White Flame**

Satoshi had started to wake up by the time they got home. He wasn't too happy about it, either.

"_Krad_," he said irritably, "_if you ever do that again_…"

"_At least you're awake not, Tamer_," Krad replied, not put off in the least.

"_And stop calling me that_!"

"_Calling you what_?" Krad asked.

"_Tamer! My name is Satoshi_!"

"_Fine, Master Satoshi_." Satoshi was about to retort when he suddenly noticed the gaping holes in the floor where Krad's magic had hit.

"_Just what the _heck_ were you doing while I was out of it_?" he asked.

"_We have a guest_."

"_Were you trying to_ kill _her_?"

"_It doesn't matter now. Do you know anything about her_?" Satoshi muttered under his breath but took a look at the girl Krad was watching.

"_Her name's Mika; she's in my class. Her father's close to Hiwatari_."

"_Since she's in your class, keep an eye on her. The Powers will do anything to get her_." Krad quickly told Satoshi what he knew about Mika.

"_Let me talk to her_," Satoshi replied. "_It's almost time for school anyway. She might as well get to know me_."

"Mika?" Krad called.

* * *

Mika was sitting on the couch, staring absently out the window, when she heard her name.

"Mika." She turned around and blinked in surprise.

"Satoshi?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here," he replied.

"But I thought… Krad…"

"Krad… drops by every now and then," Satoshi answered her unfinished question. "He told me what happened and that you'll be staying with me for a while."

"You don't mind?"

"It's fine. I have to go to school, though…"

"So do I!" Mika replied.

"Are you sure you want to go? You don't have to, not after what you've been through."

"I'm sure." She didn't tell him she wanted her friends to distract her from thinking about her father. He gazed at her unblinkingly for a moment as though he guessed what she was thinking.

"Alright," he said slowly. Finally, he looked away.

Ten minutes later he was driving her to school.

* * *

The first couple hours of the day were a new experience for Satoshi. He'd gotten used to ignoring Krad over the years. It had become easy. But today… for long periods of time there was simply… _nothing_. There was no silky whisper in his mind, no constant struggle for control, no barriers. His mind was empty, leaving him to the blessed silence he'd always dreamed of. And it was unbearable.

* * *

Krad was lost in thought about Mika. She was one of the Powers Hiwatari would be looking for. Krad couldn't helped the man out and told him about Mika but that was no fun. Let Hiwatari search. Let him stew in frustration for a while. Krad rather enjoyed the thought. Besides, he refused to hand Mika over to that man. Something inside wouldn't let him. He tried to convince himself that it was just his dislike of Hiwatari but… oh, it didn't matter! She'd come to him. And she wouldn't go with Hiwatari anyway. He'd turn her over to the Power, the very Powers she'd been running away from.

The Powers. Now that Mika's father was dead there were only four left. Two deaths in such a short amount of time. _What_ was going on? And perhaps more importantly, was the king going to do anything about it? Hiwatari was the only one with enough authority to stop them. And there was still another new Power out there somewhere, just like Mika. In the end it always seemed to come back to Mika.

_Mika_! Why couldn't he stop thinking about her?

* * *

Mika was distracted. All through class the image of her father kept popping into her mind. Especially the way he looked as his body jerked in mid-air at the last. Then she pictured what she'd do to the people responsible. They were going to pay! They were toing to suffer! Absorbed in these thoughts, she couldn't focus on her work or her classes. Her friends noticed something was wrong, but she couldn't tell them. She couldn't stand to see the inevitably pitying looks she'd receive if she did. So, after asking if she was okay, they wisely left her alone to her brooding, which only made the pain worse. There was only one person who didn't take the hint.

Ukawa (A/N: if you don't remember him from the manga, just know he's a class J#&) kept looking back at her all through first period. This, by itself, was unremarkable. He'd done it before. He'd even done it to other girls. For the most part, Mika had become accustomed to ignoring his antics. But today it went a little further than usual. He tried to engage her attention before the start of second period, but Mika escaped to her desk just as the teacher came in and told them to sit. Afterward, she grabbed her bag and headed out the door, her thoughts re-centering on her father. She forgot about Ukawa until he sidled up beside her.

"You've been gloomy today," he smiled. "How about you come cheer up with me at the movies?" Mika stared at him in shock for a few seconds. Was he asking her out on a date? With him?

"No thanks." She shouldered past and started down the hall. But Ukawa caught her wrist in his hand and stopped her.

"Come on…" he said.

"Shove it, Ukawa!" Mika snapped back, jerking at her trapped wrist.

"Baby, don't be like that!" He snagged her around the waist and pulled her into a corner.

"Get your hands off me!" She squirmed in his grip, trying to pry herself free.

"Hey! Hey, there's no need to be feisty! I'm sure I can cheer you up, Mika, if you just give me the chance!" He started to reach out with his free hand towards her chest and that's when something inside Mika finally snapped. The emotions that had been boiling around inside her all day just suddenly exploded _sideways_ in her mind, like they'd done once before. There was a blinding light that lit the hallway. It engulfed both Mika and Ukawa in white fire. Mika felt it like pleasant warmth, enveloping her, embracing her. It was a feeling of euphoria like she'd never felt before. But beside her, Ukawa was screaming.

As the light died away, lingering in Mika's hands, Krad was suddenly beside her. He was dressed like a student; the white wings he'd had earlier were gone. He pulled Ukawa away and dropped him onto the floor, where he lay, his skin red and burnt looking. There was an unpleasant odor of burnt flesh in the air. All along the hall, students had stopped and turned at the appearance of the light. They stood now, staring at the collapsed Uakawa, their eyes wide in shock and horror. Mika was too stunned to move. She looked around at all the surprised faces, feeling trapped. It was Krad that got her moving.

"Come on," he whispered, taking her hand and tugging her gently away.

As she was dragged through the crowd of people that had gathered, Mika couldn't shake the sense of unreality. The things around her seemed to be swimming, now closer, now farther away. The faces in the crowd were distorted as though seen through a warped piece of glass. People were whispering and staring. As they got further away, Mika heard some of the girls whisper excitedly about the cute new boy with the blond hair.

Finally, they reached the front entrance and escaped out into the empty parking lot. Finally, the spell seemed to shatter. Mika blinked stupidly for a few seconds as the world rushed back in around her. Krad was already a ways ahead of her.

"Krad!" Mika called, hurrying to stay caught up with his long strides. "Krad, what _was_ that?"

"That was the Power," Krad replied tersely, stopping in front of Satoshi's car. "Get in." Mika opened the passenger-side door and sat down. Krad revved the engine and pulled out onto the street. For several minutes neither spoke. Mika stared down at her feet. Krad glared out the window. Outside the car, trees and buildings whizzed past in long, multicolored blurs. Finally, Krad glanced over at her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just troubled," she replied. "Will Ukawa be alright?"

"You certainly got him good. Unfortunately, he will live."

"What am I going to do? What if the next time this happens I kill someone?"

"Or what if someone realized you're one of the Powers? You have to learn to control it. And that's why we're here." Mika looked up and realized they were parked in an old half-forgotten park. They both got out of the car. "No one will see us here," Krad said. "Call the White Flame." (A/N: White Flame to distinguish it from the Dark Flame. But overall: Magic, Power, light, Flame, fancy words for the same thing)

"I'll try." She closed her eyes and reached into her mind, pushing sideways like she remembered. It was a lot harder when she wasn't angry but eventually, after a lot of perseverance, light sprang into her hands. She grinned triumphantly.

"Well done," Krad replied. "But that was the easy part." He called his Power, allowing the white light to bathe his hands. "This is a shield." He put his hand out like he was pressing against an invisible barrier and a thin wall of light spread out before him, glowing dully. "It's difficult but there's no point in learning how to attack if you can't defend yourself."

"How do you do that?" Mika asked, putting her hand out too. Nothing happened.

"It responds to your _will_. All the gestures in the world won't do you any good if you don't tell it what to do." But Mika soon found it was harder than it sounded. After ten minutes all she could get was a glimmer when she put her hand out. And it always faded as quickly as it came. Finally, Krad suggested trying something else. Much to Mika's delight, she found she was exceptionally good at blowing things up. That was, if she could just aim. She could throw the Power just fine, but when it came to hitting her target she had troubles. At one point she managed to create a ring of craters completely circling an innocent little shrub. The shrub looked like it had dug itself a trench and was now the sole survivor of World War III. The blasted thing wasn't even singed!

"Well, you definitely need more practice," Krad commented on the way back to his house. "But you get the general idea."

"I can't even hit a bush!" Mika replied, despondently.

"Not the first time you try, no. I'd have been surprised if you had. Besides, when you really want it, it'll come." Krad lapsed into silence. What a day it had been. And try as he might, he couldn't forget how he'd felt when he'd seen Mika, trapped in the corner, Ukawa's arm wrapped around her waist. Even now, hours later, the thought made anger boil up inside. Not just him, Satoshi had been furious. Satoshi, who was always so cool and collected. At that moment, both of them had been in perfect agreement. That J& had touched her! Krad never stopped to consider why this should make him mad. All he knew was that if Mika hadn't already fried the boy to a crisp, the boy wouldn't have had enough pieces left for the hospital to put together.

* * *

"Sir. He failed. He's dead." The room was almost completely dark. The man who spoke stood rigidly still in the center of the floor. Though he was the only remaining Power of the White Flame, respected and feared by many, yet he was at the beck and call of the man sitting across the room from him, half hidden by the shadows.

"He was weak. And the other, the traitor?"

"Dead, just as you commanded," the Power replied.

"Good, he would never have joined us. Have either of the two new Powers been located?"

"One. The daughter. But a Guardian is protecting her."

"A Guardian?"

"Yes, sir."

"How?"

"She escaped using her Powers when we attacked their home."

"Bring me the girl."

"And the Guardian?"

"Bring him to me as well. Alive, if possible."

"He will never join us."

"Yes, but that may change."

* * *

**Youch, I hope that last part wasn't too confusing.**

**To sakurafairy: trust me, this isn't the end of Risa and Riku. They play a few more small parts. Dark is going to show up in chapter 8, if I remember right, and from then on there'll be more of him—though not as much as my main characters of course. Daisuke's in it, too, but not very much. Please be patient, I have to get to them. Give me chapter 7 to set them up.**

**To Devinedragon: I'm always so happy to get your reviews. I want to answer your question so bad but that will give things away—not that I think it's going to be that hard to figure out anyway. I can't wait to get to chapter 8 and the real fun. Then it'll get good.**

**To XCrossMyHeartX: Yeah, sorry, I'm getting to the pairing. You'll have seen hints of it in this chapter. It took me a bit to set it up so that it seemed plausible. Part of the reason I didn't post the pairings was that I wasn't really sure myself what they were going to be. I really like Satoshi but I think it would be so funny if Krad fell in love. What a dilemma. Oh, and there was another story I read where Satoshi fell in love with an OC that was really good. But that was a year ago and I can't remember what the story was called. Yeah, they're rare.**


	7. Night Raid

Okay, I have to tell you guys I'm really proud of this chapter. I meant to put it up before Christmas break, but ran out of time. The good news is I re-vamped it, so it's a lot better than it was. And Chapter 8 finally introduces Dark. Yay!

**Chapter 7**

Night Raid

Mika woke to the sound of shattering glass. She jolted up, looking wildly about for the cause of the disturbance. Distantly, the sound of shouting could be heard. She pulled the covers off and let her feet hit the thick, plush carpet. Satoshi had insisted she use one of the guest rooms instead of staying on the couch, and she hadn't complained. She tiptoed carefully across the room. Her feet made no noise as they sank deep into the carpeting. From the door, it was easier to hear the sound of running feet and shouting. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

"_Thieves_?" she wondered. But she knew immediately that it wasn't thieves. Thieves wouldn't make so much noise. Thieves usually didn't break in while the owner was home. It was the Powers. They'd found her. They'd lost her once before, she'd slipped through their fingers, but they were coming back for her now. They were coming to take her away. Mika felt her heartbeat speed up. These were the men who'd killed her father.

She wanted so badly to hurt them, but she also knew that they were much more powerful than her. There was no way she could win by rushing out and attacking. Just as she was wondering what she should do, the door was flung open, framing briefly the man who stood there. A glowing black nimbus surrounded his head. For a moment, their gazes met as the Power took in the scene. Mika stood there in nothing but a pair of pajamas she'd confiscated from the ruins of her home.

"In here!" the Power shouted. For an instant, Mika froze. He was blocking the door, blocking her escape. There was no where to go. And now more were coming. But as he raised his hand, darkness forming in his palm, something snapped inside Mika. And as that darkness was sent hurtling towards her, she put her hands out and a shield sprang up around her. It repulsed the attack. It wasn't a perfect shield, or a strong one. It shattered with a bright pulse of light when it was hit. But it _was_ a shield.

The force of the blow to her shield pushed Mika backwards fast enough that she couldn't keep her feet under her, and she landed sprawled out on her back. She started to pull herself hurriedly back to her feet as the Power advanced towards her.

"Stay away from me!" she shouted, hurtling a picture frame that she picked up from the dresser at him. The picture frame exploded in a ball of darkness. Mika threw herself at the bed as another ball of darkness flew towards her. It missed. She scrambled across the covers and ducked down on the other side, just in time to be missed again.

"Stop stalling," the Power said, frustrated. "You can't escape."

"I can sure as heck try," she replied, from the cover of the bed.

"Fine." He started around the bed. Mika crouched on hands and knees. She knew she couldn't win, but she was determined to hurt him in the process. He rounded the corner.

"For my father!" Mika shouted, as she pushed off from the carpet and crashed head-first into the Power. Taken by surprise, the Power lost his footing. Both went down. Mika dug her knee into his stomach and clawed at his face with her nails, leaving long bloody gashes. The Power screamed. It wasn't enough, though. It would never be enough to repay what they'd done to her father. Something in Mika snapped, and the pent-up rage she'd been suppressing bubbled free, blinding her. She became a monster, existing only for the blood of the man beneath her, pressed into the carpet. She wanted to feel his flesh shred beneath her fingers and watch the blood ooze out, soaking into the carpet. Turning everything red. Tears ran down her face, dripping onto her claw-like hands, even while she panted with the need to rip the Power apart.

The Power's fist came up, slamming into the side of her head. She went tumbling, landing in a heap a little ways away. It didn't matter. She hardly noticed. Everything was so numb. The pain. The world. She tried to wipe the tears away, but stopped short. Her hands—they were covered in blood. _She_ was covered in blood. Her hands were shaking.

The Power stood up, his face a red mask. It was running in little red rivulets down his face, into his eyes. So it was hard to see. But he saw the girl, lying brokenly on the carpet, staring at her hands. He approached.

Mika knew she had to get up; she had to get out of there. But it was so hard to move. She got her hands under her and pushed up, weakly, because her arms were trembling. But once she was on her hands and knees, she couldn't get any farther. It was like trying to push against a brick wall. Too late. It was too late. She could feel the shadow of the Power standing over her.

A hand was pressed to her head, a hand that was glowing with the darkness of the Living Flame. Her will dissolved. She collapsed back to the ground, panting.

And as she lay, trying desperately to move paralyzed muscles on the blood-stained carpet, she felt the Power grasp her and pull her up.

xxx

Satoshi's eyes flew open in the darkness, knowing instinctively that something was wrong, seconds before he heard the crash. He was out of the bed and across the room before you could blink. On the floor below, people were shouting. Half way down the stairs, he came face to face with one of the intruders: a Power. He'd known they'd come for Mika, but he'd hoped that they wouldn't figure out her location so quickly. Obviously, it was too late for that.

The Power saw him and froze for just a moment. Satoshi knew he couldn't turn and make it back up the stairs in time, not when his momentum was carrying him down. So he threw himself forward instead. The Power started to shout out, started to lift his hand, but not in time. Satoshi slammed into him and they went down, crashing into the coffee table behind.

The coffee table screeched in protest under the initial blow, but didn't break, and the pair slid to the floor. Both Satoshi and the Power took a moment to reorient themselves, but the Power recovered quickly. He couldn't get up because Satoshi was on top of him, but he could gather darkness into his hand. Satoshi noticed. Quickly, he knocked the Power's head sideways, into one of the table legs. The man grunted and fell limp, the darkness in his hand dispersing. Satoshi knew he wouldn't stay unconscious long and got up, running towards the room Mika was sleeping in. About that time he heard her scream.

"Blast!" he muttered. He darn near threw himself into the kitchen in his hurry, hit the linoleum (A/N: a type of flooring, can be slippery if you aren't wearing shoes) and immediately tried to stop as he realized with a shock that there were two Powers in the room. But his feet slid on the linoleum as he tried to stop and he went down, hitting the floor behind the counter. A ball of dark fire went streaking overhead, right where he'd been standing moments earlier. Fortunately the counter ended up between him and the Powers, effectively blocking them from hitting him.

"Come out, boy!" one of the Powers shouted. Satoshi crouched down behind the counter as the Power approached. He could hear the Power's footsteps on the linoleum.

Counting these two made a total of three Powers altogether so far. Three Powers was a few more than he'd reckoned on. Even with the one he'd knocked out earlier, these two were going to be a formidable pair, and the first wouldn't stay unconscious for long.

One of the Powers rounded the counter, one hand held up and bathed in a dark glow. But Satoshi made sure to stay out of reach of that hand. He grabbed the man's feet and pulled them out from under him. The Power went down with a startled yell. But as Satoshi went after him, the Power caught Satoshi by the arms. Satoshi immediately felt energy drain out of him as the man's glowing dark hand gripped his forearm tightly. Everything went slightly fuzzy. Satoshi twisted his arm free as quickly as possible, but the contact had cost him. His reflexes were a little sluggish as he struggled to keep the Power's hand away. But as absorbed in the struggle with the Power as he'd become, he'd neglected to check on the second one.

"Insolent boy!" Satoshi was caught off guard as a ball of pure light hit him in the side. He shook his head, trying to clear his vision. The other Power in the room had maneuvered for a clear shot; his hand was bathed in white light. Even as Satoshi looked up, he was hit again. His vision going fuzzy, he scrabbled off the Dark Power and took a couple unsteady steps away. Even though he knew it was no use. He couldn't get away now. The Power hit him again. Satoshi staggered and caught himself on the sink as the world started to spin.

By now the Power he'd knocked to the floor was up and attacking him, too. Satoshi couldn't fight both of them, plus the one that had just walked in the door, looking murderous for having been knocked out. Satoshi didn't have the energy to stand up under the combined attacks and started to sink towards the ground. But as he did, he felt ropes of Living Flame bind him tightly. He was lifted up, the floor receding beneath him, onto the counter and tied there.

"Stay out of our way, boy," the Light Power said. "Our quarrel is not with you." At that point, another Power walked into the room, half dragging Mika along with him.

"_Four of them_!" Satoshi thought. "_And I can't even let Krad out or they'll realize who I am_." As Mika struggled weakly against the Power, her eyes met Satoshi's.

"I've got her," the Power said. "Let's go!" He began dragging Mika towards the door, followed by the other two Dark Powers. Satoshi struggled beneath the oppressive weight of the restraints, thrashing about and lashing out, twisting violently. The last Power, the Light Power, walked over to him and stood for a moment, watching him. All of a sudden Satoshi felt the restraints tighten. He gritted his teeth but said nothing.

"You sure are quiet," the Power whispered. He reached out and grasped Satoshi by the chin, forcing the blue-haired Tamer to look at him. "I was told a Guardian was protecting the girl. Where is he, I wonder?" The Power let go of his chin to run the nail of one long finger down his cheek, leaving a long trail of blood in its wake. Finally, the Power turned and left.

xxx

Mika's world was fuzzy. She fought as best she could, but every movement was like wading through quicksand, it seemed so slow. She couldn't even push _sideways_ in her mind to draw the Living Flame—she could only brush futilely at it again and again, each time feeling her mind slip past it. Why couldn't she think straight? Why was she so weak?

The one who had her, the Dark Power, was dragging her down the driveway towards a car parked there. One of the other Powers opened the door and her Power maneuvered to get in while still holding on to her. One of his arms was around her waist, while his other hand was pressed to her head. Mika had a vague idea that it was the darkly glowing hand pressed to her head that was hurting her, draining her of energy.

With her one free hand, she clawed him, raking her nails across his face. The Power jerked back, hissing, raising his hand to his face.

Freedom! With his hand gone she could suddenly feel the Living Flame again. It was _there_! She pushed _sideways_ and lashed out. Light filled the vehicle, blindingly bright. There was a series of explosions, someone yelled, and when the light died away, the vehicle had a new sunroof.

"Can't you control one little girl?" the Light Power, the one driving, yelled. But Mika had broken free of the Dark Power's grip. One of the others tried to catch hold of her flailing legs, and she kicked him in the jaw. The resounding _crack_ was audible.

"Catch her, you fools!"

"Get your hands off me!" Mika shouted. "Murderers!" The Power she'd raked with her nails was swearing vehemently (A/N: furiously). The one she'd kicked finally caught hold of her and dragged her up into his lap. Mika felt the strength and drive abandon her again as his hands (filled with the Dark Power) brushed against her temples.

"Hush, Mika," he whispered, shielding her from the wrath of the others. "Peace! We will not harm you! You are one of us!"

"You killed my father!" Mika tried to shout, but even that took too much effort. It came out as a breathy whisper. "You killed him! You can all go to ----!" She pushed pathetically against her captor.

"Your father didn't understand. He would have ruined everything. We had no choice. You don't have to fight us like he did! I know you must be scared and confused about your new powers, but we can help you! We can teach you. Let us help!"

"I'd rather eat dirt!"

"Give it a rest," one of the other Powers said. "She's as stubborn as her father, that traitor." At that point the whole windshield disappeared in an explosion of light. The Light Power slammed on the breaks. The car came to a screeching halt after spinning two hundred and seventy degrees. And standing there, a white and gold silhouette against the endless sea of shadows, the White Guardian, Krad.

xxx

Krad stood in front of the stalled car, his arms crossed, furious. No one got away with hurting Satoshi, kidnapping someone under his protection, and ruining his home. Absolutely no one. Of course, facing four Powers at once was probably close to suicide. Krad was willing to take on the odds. Especially if it meant saving Mika.

The driver opened his door and stepped out, facing Krad. Krad recognized him as the sole remaining Light Power. The other three would be Dark Powers. He wasn't sure which was worse.

"At last we meet," the Power said, stepping away from the car. "We've heard a lot about you."

"Release the girl," Krad replied.

"Why?" the Power asked. "What is she to you?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"Could," the Power smiled, "doesn't mean you'll get an answer."

"Are you going to release her or do I have to make you?"

"Why do we have to fight?" the Power asked. "Join us, Guardian. Our master is most interested in you. He will reward you for your service."

"I serve no one."

"Pity. Yet still we have our orders. You should be grateful. Our master has ordered us to bring you back alive." The other three Powers stepped out of the car, one still holding Mika.

"I'm not going anywhere," Krad replied, throwing a ball of pure light at the man. It was too bad he managed to get a shield up in time, effectively dispelling the attack. The Powers wasted no time in counter-attacking, and Krad was forced to take flight to avoid the three-way assault. Only three-way because one of the Powers was still restraining Mika.

"You can't fight all of us, Guardian!" the Light Power called. In the air, Krad dodged their attacks.

"Watch me!" he replied, plummeting downward. As he fell he threw light down ahead of him, and with each successive attack the shield barricading the Power beneath him weakened. "_Come on! Come on_!" he thought, watching the attacks dissipate harmlessly on contact with the shield. He was getting awfully close. Finally, seconds before his downward momentum would have hurled him against shield, it shattered into millions of pieces and Krad nailed the Power, sending him flying backwards into a nearby building. It cost Krad, though. During those few seconds of defenselessness, one of the other Power's attacks had hit him. He was lucky. They weren't using their full power, because they didn't want him dead. So rather than disintegrating half his body, the blow only knocked him out of the air and weakened him.

He erected a shield.

"Finally deigned (A/N: consented or stooped to a lower level) to join the rest of us mortals?" one of the Powers asked. Their attacks were dissipating harmlessly against his shield as he advanced towards them. The Dark Power took a step back but was hemmed in by the wreck of the car. He formed a shield as Krad advanced, but that was just what Krad wanted him to do. Their shields met. There was an awful hissing noise. The light of the one shield and the darkness of the other exploded outward, plunging one half of the street into impenetrable shadows and the other into blinding light. Then the shields shattered.

Krad attacked the still-stunned Power, dropping him easily with a gaping hole in his side. The Power wasn't dead, but he stayed down, gripping his side in bloody hands.

Sudden light hit Krad dead in the small of his back. It sent him hurtling forwards. He brought his arms up to protect his face and twisted to change his momentum into a roll, coming to a bruised and bloody halt several feet from where he had been. The concrete tore the skin off his arms, leaving a bloody pulp, and shredded his wings into bits of downy fluff. With tremendous effort, Krad got to his feet. He was panting and shaking from the exertion and the blow. Still, he started toward the last Power, the White Power. He shielded himself as the Power attacked, but the shield was weakened by the damage he'd sustained and collapsed under the single blow, shattering out in razor-sharp pieces. He took the next blow to his shoulder. He staggered, but he took another step forward.

The Power was trembling from strain and breathing in ragged gasps.

"Why don't you ever quit!" he yelled, his voice hoarse. Krad ignored him and took a step forward. His shaking was getting worse but he was only feet from the Power. Just a little farther… He couldn't even erect a shield now, but light was glowing faintly in his hand. The Light Power attacked again, the strength of it diminished by his exhaustion. Krad couldn't move anymore. He took the blow, took one last shaking step forward, putting himself directly in front of the Power, and felt his exhaustion take him to his knees. The concrete bit into his skin, but he didn't notice. He was beyond caring.

Breathing was hard. Just remaining upright on his knees was hard. Facing what was coming was hard.

The Power raised his violently trembling hand, still glowing with light, in the beginning of one final assault.

"Even Guardians… are not invincible," he gasped and Krad was pleased to note that he, too, was barely remaining standing. Then the hand started to fall forward and Krad saw the ball of light start to form. It was over. His body was trying to heal itself, to replenish the energy that had been exhausted, but it couldn't do that fast enough. He couldn't withstand another attack. They'd have him. The Powers would have him and they'd have Satsohi, too. And Mika. And there was nothing he could do…

**xxx**

**To DevineDragon: You asked about this line: "Satoshi had started to wake up by the time they got home. He wasn't too happy about it, either"... Sorry, it's been a couple chapters and I guess I just sort of expected people to piece it together, my mistake. Satoshi has been unconscious for over 2 chapters now, don't forget. Remember Krad knocked him unconscious when he saved Mika. No offense, but that's really got to hurt. In chapter 4, I mentioned what had happened from Krad's point of view: "Satoshi was beginning to stir in the back of his mind, groaning slightly from the effect of the mental beating he'd taken." So Satoshi isn't too happy about waking up because he has one heck of a headache! Ouch.  
**** Okay, next question: Are they falling in love wither her (Mika)? Hmm, I think the next chapter will answer that. I'm really bad at romance, so tell me if it sucks.  
**** Sorry, I can't tell you who the person in the dark room is, although I expect most people have guessed. Yes, Mika's father is the traitor. And the weak one was the one Krad killed. Wow, long response!**

**To Anne: Nice to meet you Anne! Yep, Dark's in it, but that's next chapter!**

**To Sakurafairy: Hello again!**


	8. Saved

**Okay, first: I've decided I should ban myself from writing romance as reading this I realized I suck. Or at least I feel like it sounds stupid. Second: I went back and read chapter 1 and started laughing. I'm gonna try to fix it. Third: I just retyped the whole thing and if there are spelling errors, I just don't care right now. I'll fix 'em later. Fourth: never try updating three stories and once. (but I wanted this done before school's out) Fifth: my essay won first place in the competition! (smiles) and I love you all. Thanks. **

**Chapter 8**

Saved

It was hard to think. Everything was so blurry. And nothing that happened next seemed to make sense. Krad watched as darkness exploded around the Power. The Power dropped to the concrete, unconscious. It took Krad a second to realize someone had hit him with the Dark Flame. But who? If only he could think clearly…

As soon as he could stagger to his feet, he turned around… and groaned. Dark had grasped a startled Mika's hand and was explaining how he'd found them.

"I saw the explosions and couldn't resist helping a damsel in distress." He bowed low to kiss the back of her hand. Krad unceremoniously pulled Mika away and stepped in front of her. Dark smirked.

"What are you doing here?" Krad demanded.

"Saving your butt. What's a matter? Can't even take out a few pesky Powers?"

"I didn't ask for your help, and I didn't need it!" Krad retorted. "I had them right where I wanted them."

"Ri-ight," Dark replied. "That would be why you were kneeling on the ground in abject defeat." Then he changed the subject before Krad could come up with a suitable threat. "Who's the pretty girl?"

"That's none…" Krad started.

"I'm Mika." Mika peeked out from behind Krad. "Are you another Guardian?"

"At your service," Dark replied.

"This is Dark." Krad muttered threats under his breath.

"Do you like flying?" Dark asked.

"I've never flown before," Mika replied.

"Never?" Dark glanced at Krad. "I can see why. I could take you if you'd like." Mika started to reply, but changed her answer when Krad squeezed her arm hard.

"Not right now. I'm tired."

"Suit yourself. So why are you hanging out with Blondie?"

"Why, you…" Krad couldn't take it anymore. He started forward, one hand beginning to glow with the light of the Living Flame.

"Krad, no!" Mika grabbed the hem of his shirt and tried to hold him back.

"She's right," Dark replied. "You couldn't hurt a fly in the state you're in. Better quit while you're ahead." Krad couldn't fight both of them. He was already dizzy again. Reluctantly, he released the Flame.

"Another time then," he said.

"Why were you fighting those Powers, anyway?" Dark asked.

"They killed my father," Mika said.

"And attacked a stone," Krad added. "Now they're trying to kidnap Mika."

"The _Powers_ did this?" Dark frowned. "But why?"

"I don't know."

"This has to be stopped," Dark said. "I'll see if I can find them. You know what has to be done." Krad nodded. Dark turned to Mika. "Always happy to help a lady. See ya!" With that he took off into the air and quickly disappeared into the dark sky.

Krad and Mika started home, past the wreckage of the fight. The Powers had vanished sometime while they'd been talking to Dark.

For a time they walked side by side in silence. The world faded in and out of darkness as they passed between streetlights.

"Thank you, Krad."

"For what?" Krad looked up, jolted out of his thoughts.

"For saving me. You didn't have to."

"I came as fast as I could."

"How did you know I was in trouble, anyway?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're alright." He caught her by the arm and pulled her close, so that they were only inches apart. Mika realized they'd stopped walking.

"Krad…" she whispered the name, so that it was no more than a breath of air. "Please…" She stopped, uncertain what to say.

"Please what?" He was so close, standing there looking down at her. She realized for the first time that his eyes were molten gold, a sort of liquid fire. And then he kissed her. The world seemed to melt away. It was… bliss, euphoria? She didn't have the words to describe it.

So what if the most powerful people in the world were trying to kidnap her? So what if she had no home? No parents? All her worries evaporated, and she was drowning.

Through the haze in her mind a thought suddenly swam to the surface, and she pulled back from him.

"Blast!" she breathed. "We have to get back. I forgot about Satoshi. The Power's…"

"Mika…"

"…attacked him. What if he's hurt?"

"_Mika_! Calm down. Satoshi's alright."

"You saved him?" Mika asked. Krad sighed. Somehow Satoshi always seemed to ruin everything. Why did she have to worry about this now?

"Yeah. I… saved him."

* * *

The house now had a new door where the Powers had entered, leaving pieces of wood and glass and debris all over the living room. It was a mess, but neither Krad nor Mika felt like doing anything about it at the moment. Mika was exhausted: she kept yawning. It seemed funny to her that she was still in her pajamas. As she walked in, she had her arm out, trying to form a shield. Krad noticed her frustrated look.

"Still can't make one?" he asked.

"Feh!" she replied. "I formed one earlier. Now I can't again."

"Keep trying. You'll get it."

"What a pain." Krad stayed with her all the way back to her bedroom. But when she sat down on her bed, small details in the room caught her eye. The shattered remains of the picture frame the Power had destroyed, lying scattered in a small, glittering circle. The bloody carpet where she'd fallen, trying desperately to move paralyzed muscles. The utter helplessness that followed. The panic: the stifling, screaming, all-consuming panic.

Mika realized she was shaking.

"Krad," she whispered as he started to leave. "I don't want to be left alone. Don't leave me alone." Krad stopped and looked at her. In the back of his mind Satoshi was laughing at him, or smirking, which was the same thing as a laugh from Satoshi.

"_Oh, shut up_," Krad told him.

"_I didn't say anything_," Satoshi replied innocently.

"_You were thinking it_." He sat down next to her and pulled her close, burying his face in her silken hair. She smelled of the nigh, dark and wild, of the Power she wielded, and faintly of the men who'd kidnapped her. There was a light bluish mark forming along the inside of her wrist. Krad carefully turned her hand so that he could see it better once he was sure she was asleep. It was the beginning of a nasty bruise. The thought filled him with a blind sort of rage. How dare they touch her? How dare they cause her pain? Krad tightened his hold on her and vowed to do worse to them before they died. As he lay, holding her in the circle of his arms, he determined not to let anything happen to her.

"It's okay, Mika," he whispered.

* * *

**Okay, so that's that for now. I can't wait 'till chapter 12! But now I'm stuck on 13. It's kind of funny 'cause that's where I got stuck in my other story, too. I have a chapter 13 block (and I don't even believe in bad luck!). **

**To Reiko no Tori: Wish granted! And there's more Dark in the next chapter, too. Actually, there's quite a bit more of him. **

**To StAnThEpLuNgErMaN: I really hope there weren't any spelling errors in this chapter. I'm now in a writing group! Yay! So my grammar's improving too. Looking back over my first few chapters I can see a bunch of comma errors (I hate those!), and several places where my formatting was switched when I uploaded the chapter and I didn't catch it. I keep meaning to go back and fix those. **

**To DevineDragon: I know it's been a while, but thanks. **


	9. Discoveries

**Chapter 9**

Discoveries

"_That was sappy_," Daisuke commented when they were safely away. "_Even for you_."

"Sappy, huh?" Dark asked, examining the city below. "Look down there—that's your girlfriend Risa's house. Let's see how you act around _her_." He started to descend toward the balcony, where Daisuke could just make out a figure standing at the railing.

"_Dark, no_!" Daisuke protested. "_It's late. We have to be getting home_."

"_Sure_," Dark replied. "You just don't want to see her like this." He landed lightly on the balcony behind the girl. She was wearing a pair of fuzzy pajamas, gazing out over the water towards the horizon. Dark stole up behind her, grasped her shoulders, and turned her around. That's when he realized she had short hair. It was Riku, not Risa. And she wasn't happy to see him. Too late. She looked up and froze for a second, just long enough for Dark to think, "_Oh, blast_."

"Get away from me, you pervert!" she yelled.

"No! Wait! I didn't mean…" Dark replied, while trying to restrain her from hitting him.

"Let me go!" she yelled, fighting against his hold.

"Shh! Listen for a moment!" But she had both hands on his chest now, trying to pushi him away, still screaming. That's when it happened. Light gathered in her hands. Dark froze in shock, staring down at her hands. There was a bright flash like a strobe light going off that lit up the sky, and Dark was hurtled backwards, through the wall and into the next room. Someone screamed. He landed sprawled out on the floor, covered in dust, unable to feel his back. There was a hole in the wall, through which Riku was staring with her jaw slightly dropped.

"_Are you alive_?" Daisuke asked. Dark could tell he was trying very hard not to laugh from the ripples of amusement in his mind.

"I think so," Dark replied, trying to maintain his dignity.

"_Then you deserved it. Go, Riku_!" Daisuke was positively beaming. Riku, however, was horrified.

"I'm sorry!" she said, walking through the door she'd just blasted into existence and kneeling down beside him. "Are you alright? I don't know what happened!"

"What's going on?" a sleepy voice asked from across the room. There was a gasp. "A Guardian!" Feet pattered across the carpeted floor and Risa entered Dark's vision. "Wow! I've wanted to meet you for forever!" Finally she took in the stat of her wall. "What _happened_? Riku, what did you do!" Dark started to get to his feet. He was covered in sheet-rock dust from the wall, which turned his clothes white so that he looked more like Krad than himself. What a way to meet a girl.

"_Me_?" Riku asked, affronted. "It was him! He tried to molest me!" Dark choked.

"I did not!"

"Riku!" Risa exclaimed. "I can't believe you!"

"You did, too!"

"You didn't have to blast me through the wall!"

"But Riku," Risa said, "how did you blast him through the wall in the first place?"

"I…" Riku stopped short in the middle of her tirade, taken by surprise. How _had_ she done it?

"You must be one of the Powers," Dark replied thoughtfully.

"Riku's a Power?" Risa asked, wide-eyed.

"I am not!"

"Oh, yes you are. That was the White Flame you just wielded."

"No, I'm not!" Riku protested again. "I'd know if I was."

"Well, let's check then," Dark replied.

"How?" Riku started to ask, but before she knew it he had scooped her up into his arms and was carrying her across the room. "Put me down, you pervert!" she yelled, struggling and kicking. He did. In fact, he dumped her onto the bed. "Why, you…" she started, beginning to pull herself up. But she shoved her back down before she could finish and started pulling her shirt up. "No!" she shouted. "Help!" Risa was standing a few feet back, watching with interest.

"I think we should trust him," Risa replied. Riku started to reply, but at that point she felt Dark's fingers brush her shoulder and she shivered.

"You have the mark," he said. "You _are_ one of the Powers." Riku hurriedly pulled her shirt back down and glared fits at him.

"Whoa! Now I want a mark too!" Risa exclaimed. In Dark's mind, Daisuke had had about enough.

"_Please, Dark! Can we just go_?"

"_What, and leave your_ girlfriend?" Dark asked.

"_It's getting late_."

"_Party pooper_," Dark replied. Aloud, he said, "Well, it seems about time I should leave. It's been a pleasure meeting you." He kissed Riku's palm before she could drag it away and wipe I off on her bed.

"Come again!" Risa called after him as he walked back out onto the balcony and took off.

"_I mean to_," Dark muttered.

* * *

"Well, where is she?" The man who spoke was sitting across the dark room, submerged in shadows. 

"Sir, our most humble apologies. We didn't manage to acquire her." It was the whit Power who spoke again.

"You failed."

"Sir."

"This is a… minor setback. There will be another chance. He will come when you attack the stone, leaving the girl alone. It will be the perfect opportunity."

"But sire, after tonight he will not want to leave her by herself. Won't he take the girl with him?"

"No. It will be dangerous and he will not want her hurt."

"Yes, sir. We will not fail you again."

"I should think not. Now, for your punishment." There was no warning. One minute the Power was standing as straight as possible in the middle of the room, the next he was writhing on the floor. If anyone had been around they would have heard the screams.

* * *

Satoshi woke up with the sun in his eyes. He frowned and squinted through it. That's when he realized one of his arms was wrapped around Mika's waist. He froze, trying to figure out how to get out of this one. 

"Krad, I'm going to kill you," he muttered, inching slowly away. Unfortunately, it still woke Mika up. She yawned contentedly, rolled over, opened her eyes, and froze.

"Wait!" Satoshi started to say. "It's not what it…" But it was too late. The ensuing yell could be heard for blocks. Satoshi wasn't quite sure what happened after that.

"Get away from me!" she shouted, pushing at him with her hands while simultaneously kicking him. Satoshi knew only that he ended up on his back on the floor with a painful thump. But that wasn't the end of the assault. Before he could get to his feet he was bashed over the head with a big fluffy pillow. She continued to attack him as he struggled up, trying to ward off her blows. "You pervert!" Satoshi dashed out the door, narrowly missing several pillows she chucked across the room at him.

"What the heck happened, Krad," he muttered as he stalked off down the hall. The Guardian had just been woken up by all the commotion and took a few seconds to piece together what had happened.

"_What_…" he started to ask.

"You switched with me!" Satoshi yelled furiously.

"…_Oops_."

"_Oops_?!"

"Well, I didn't do it on purpose! It must have happened while we were sleeping." Krad sounded thoughtful. Satoshi groaned.

The ride into school was particularly quite. Neither Satoshi nor Mika said a word to each other the entire time.

* * *

By second period that day, there were rumors circulating around the school about what had happened to Ukawa. By then it was common knowledge that Ukawa was in the hospital recovering from burns and everyone had a different theory about how it had happened. There were even a few rumors about the cute blond boy. 

Of course, Mika didn't know this until Risa suddenly sat down next to her, looking mischievous.

"So, what's his name?" Risa asked. Mika looked up and frowned in confusion.

"Who's?"

"That blond guys'."

"Oh, Krad." Mika had forgotten that he'd dragged her out of school the day before. Oh, man! Everyone must have seen them!

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you a thing now?"

"A _what_?" Mika yelped. Risa raised an eyebrow.

"No less that eleven girls saw you two together." Mika thought about Krad's kiss and smiled. "Uh huh," Risa said. "I'll leave you alone then."

* * *

Sometime during fifth period the girl sitting in front of Satoshi turned around and handed him a note. Satoshi sighed and started to crumple it up when something caught his eye. It had Daisuke's name written on it. Curious, he opened it up. It read: 

Found one.

Meet me at 7?

Satoshi understood immediately. They'd found one of the Powers. He realized Daisuke was watching him from across the room. Folding the note back up, he nodded. Daisuke turned back around.

* * *

**Man, when it comes to High School Drama, I am clueless. Don't kill me! The next chapter will kick us out of it again and back into action. **

**This hasn't been updated in so long, mainly because I seriously thought no one really cared. And because, well, let's see _you_ finish up three fics at the same time. Speaking of which, I don't care if you don't read Dragon Knights, you should so go read Getting Rath Back. I finally did a really good job on a story. I wish now it had been for you guys. But I am learning, and if I do this again, I swear I'll never do an OC or romance again. If I stick to people dying, I stay a lot more interested in writing. What a horrible thought, though… **

**Review Responses: **

**To The Oblivious Captain Anna: Thank you. You were the first person to review, and for the longest time the only one. That meant a lot. **

**To TokiNoKusabi: I hat to admit it, but I was planning on dropping this fic until you reviewed. Then some thought occurred to me like, "Well, someone likes it, I better at least get up what I have." I definitely agree. It's so hard to find non-yaoi stories. How come there have to be some many really good writers who only write that stuff? I almost combined this chapter with 10 for you to hurry it up. But if I want to go get up my other fic, I better hurry... blinks then again, I just realized I don't have it with me. Blast! That's not good. I was trying to get them both up today… **


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